Forgotten heroes

"Representative Rangel Censured by the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives" was the headline in the news of recent days.  It was just more of the same kind of disappointing reports of various public figures – from federal judges, state legislators, governors, senators and congressmen – being caught with their "hand in the cookie jar" taking bribes, selling influence, evading taxes, often involving sexual misconduct and infidelity.

This barrage of negative, depressing examples of the moral decline in this county, and many other countries around the world, tends to cause us to become jaded, calloused and cynical about almost every facet of our society. Who can you trust? Where are the good examples? Where are the heroes? There are some, to be sure, but not as many as one could hope for.

This situation is not a new phenomenon, but it does seem to be more prevalent today.

Other generations have been concerned as well, and two prominent figures in American history decided to do something about it. Theodore Roosevelt, who later became the 26th President of the United States and his good friend Henry Cabot Lodge, a long-time Senator from Massachusetts, were both scholarly men who were avid readers and prolific writers. They spent many hours discussing various important characters and heroes in American history. In 1894 these two close friends embarked on a joint project to write short stories featuring some of these heroes. Lodge wrote 12 accounts and Roosevelt wrote 14 stories. They were published in 1895 as "Hero Tales." More that a century later these "tales" make very interesting reading, as forgotten details about American heroes are retold in a very interesting and absorbing manner.

While these accounts are interesting and inspirational examples of integrity, courage, character and accomplishment, for the students of the Bible there are even more important examples of heroic escapades, great accomplishments and self-sacrifice. A knowledge of these heroes is very important in understanding the plan God has been working out here below down through the millennia.

Happily, there is an inspiring summary of these heroes of the faith in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. In chapter eleven of Hebrews, we read of righteous Abel, Enoch, and Noah. You will also find the accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses. Later, the prophets and David are mentioned. Heroic women are not left out and Sara and Rahab are included as important biblical characters. In the summation of the account we read of them, "who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 11: 33-40; 12:1).

Why are these accounts important? Paul explained why in 1 Corinthians 10:11: "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come."

These heroes of the faith are not forgotten and they inspire us to carry on until Christ returns. As we consider "this cloud of witnesses" realize that the failings of politicians and officials will not thwart God's plan to bring His Kingdom to this earth for all mankind.

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